Dead, but Alive
by Witchy Pancake
Summary: Feliciano Vargas was killed by a mysterious person. He woke up 3 weeks later. -Contains smut-
1. Chapter 1

It was in the evening when it had happened. Dear sweet Feliciano, so naive and so cowardly, unawares to the cold presence lurking closer in the twilight. It was a warm summer night, when the sun had gone down but still left traces of red from the evening sky a few hours earlier. Feliciano had just returned from the supermarket. He ran out of garlic for the pasta simmering back home. He turned the next corner, his house was just a few feet away.

And then it struck. A large knife from behind had pierced through his chest, ripped his shirt and was sticking out in front of him. At first it was the air being knocked out of him that hit Feliciano first. It felt like someone had taken the air right from his lungs. Then the pain. Oh god, the pain. He tried to scream, but his voice was garbled by his own blood bubbling up his throat and drooling past his lips. He felt light-headed. It was almost as if he was floating, he felt his arms and legs go numb, his muscles aching and his face growing colder. The knife pulled out of him, allowing the blood that was hidden behind the knife to pool and splatter across the pavement. He had always wondered what death's embrace felt like. It was like being hugged in a very thick, warm blanket, on the verge of falling asleep. It reminded him of the days he was hugged tightly by his grandpa when he was a little boy. That memory made Feliciano's experience a little less painful. His eyes were wide open, yet it was like he had them closed as his vision darkened. His limp body hit the floor. Feliciano Vargas was dead.

It came to no surprise the story was all over the news the next day. Photographs of the chalk line and evidence found at the scene of the crime, splattered all across the tabloids. He was found in the early morning by a bystander on their way to work. Nobody knew who had done it. Feliciano lived in a small, peaceful town. Everybody knew each other so well that secrets definitely did not stay a secret for long. After the news was spread, the grieving process took it's place. Candles, flowers and letters had clogged up the streets around Feliciano's house and the chalk line that stayed on path ominously.

His body was taken in by Ivan Braginski. This was his line of work, to check the bodies of any signs of drug usage before the attack, any alcohol still left in the blood. "Ivan, any news?" a voice spoke from behind the door. Ivan looked over to detective Kirkland, shaking his head grimly. "Nyet, I'm afraid this was a murder without any sign of intoxication" Ivan explained, pulling off his blood soaked gloves and tossing them into the bin. "Get him stitched up then, will you? the funeral's on Thursday" Alfred said through his doughnut. "Alfred! For god's sake, man! Try to be more sensitive! This was your neighbor we're talking about!" Arthur scolded, smacking the doughnut from Alfred's jaw and stepping on it, squeezing the jam onto the floor. "Awww, come on! If Feliciano were here, he'd be having a laugh with me!" "Well he's not and that's a problem. Get back to work! We need to catch this killer before he kills anybody else from our community!" Arthur snapped, "Ivan...make him look presentable". Twisting Alfred's ear, the pair walked out of the morgue. "Da. Will do, that is what I'm here for after all!" Ivan grimly muttered, slapping on another set of gloves and picking up his tools again.

Rain pattered thickly against umbrellas as the coffin was slowly lowered into the ground. "Fratello, damn it, you bastard...I always told you not to go out late at night...now look where you are..." Lovino struggled through the waves of tears sliding down his cheeks, "I wish...you were still here...". Lovino threw the bouquet of flowers into the ground, giving a nod to the grave digger and returning to his seat among the sea of mourners.

With each scrape of the shovel taking in more soft earth, Ludwig could feel his heart tighten in his chest. His lover laid inside that coffin, with dirt tumbling onto the surface and stealing the light from above the grave. Oh how he wished he could jump in and save him, yet he knew he could not. It was like any feeling of happiness he had had in a while was being buried along in the ground with him. His throat was aching and his eyes were getting a warm prickle. He was mustering all his strength not to cry, but instead to try and smile a little knowing his love was finally at peace. Ludwig only wished it didn't make him feel so sad.

They stayed until the last clump of earth was patted down, everyone grabbed a coffee, exchanged their memories and interactions with the late Feliciano Vargas and went on their way in sorrow.

It had been three weeks. "Still no sign! We're drawing blanks sir!" Yao snipped at Francis. "Well then, maybe try patrolling the area with the hounds!" He snapped back, swishing his fabulous blonde curls in frustration. "Already tried that, frog. Those hounds have been patrolling the same area for the past two weeks. We've tried giving them Feliciano's clothing to see if any of them can smell anything of relevance. Nothing. Bloody nothing!" Arthur grumbled, taking another swig of his tea. "You know, it could be anyone! We all know each other. Maybe we should interrogate likely suspects again!"Alfred suggested. "Should that be the case, who are the suspects?" Ivan asked, taking a large bite from a muffin on the table.

First we have Lovino Vargas, his older brother. He claims to have been staying at home during the attack, although there's a chance he could be lying. His brother WAS the owner of loads of food manufacturing businesses. If you ask me, his story is making me suspect a little sibling fight over pocket money" Alfred spoke, pulling out a file filled with pictures and transcripts of Lovino's existence.

Then there's his lover, Ludwig Beilschmidt. Tough fellow, judging by Feliciano's usual cowardly ways, it would surprise me he was trapped in an unhealthy relationship. Ludwig wasn't crying at the funeral, believe it or not, I saw him smiling to himself as the coffin was going in! I'd say that is mighty suspicious, not crying at the funeral of your partner for the past four years" Arthur added. "I object!" Yao spoke up, "Mr. Beilschmidt did confess to me that he was planning a proposal to Feliciano a few weeks after the attack. He had booked a cruise ship to propose to him on. What sort of killer organizes a trip for he and his deceased partner?". "Unless there was someone else. tsk tsk, that meathead, he had probably killed his partner to fulfill his relationship with another partner, by taking them on a cruise ship and proposing!" Francis exclaimed, banging his fist on the table in realization. "Except you idiot, that would make no sense because he would be caught instantly. Let's not go waggling our fingers at people yet" Arthur sighed in frustration, rubbing his temples. There was a long, thoughtful pause.

Only two suspects and no clues. Gentlemen, I believe this has to be our toughest case yet" Ivan sighed. The detectives looked at each other's eyes all around the room. They did not look the way they did before the case. Bags under their eyes, their features tired and worn out. Everyone had frustration, confusion, but most of all, grief, written in their eyes. Why did it have to be Feliciano?

Cold...so cold...it was tight and uncomfortable. But most of all, dark. There was no sound. So this is what it was like to be dead? Feliciano tried to stretch out his legs, but found he was stuck in a fetal position, pressed against thick, hard walls. He could manage to lay on his back, thankfully, his legs awkwardly bent, suspended up in the air. While there wasn't enough room for him to stretch out, there was room for him kick a little. To which he did, violently kicking the ceiling until it made a cracking sound and something pattered against his leg. Dirt? Wiggling his hips to move him down to the source of the dirt falling into this domain, he began to punch upwards. He couldn't stretch his arms far, but Feliciano could feel there was a way to get out if he tried. He punched and kicked the ceiling for what felt like hours. Whatever he was stuck in did not have the best quality wood as it was moist and weak. Then arm punched a hole through the ceiling, letting dirt tumble in. Feliciano could stick both hands out the hole, but he could feel the dirt starting to fill up around him. Panicking, he punched and scraped around the hole, making it big enough for him to slither through. He felt like a mole, frantically digging towards the sky until his fingertips touched the cold night air. He wriggled out with a gasp, the moonlight hitting his eyes and the air filling his lungs. How was this possible? Was he dead or alive?! Feliciano looked at the tombstone behind him.

"Here lies Feliciano Vargas, beloved brother taking far too soon. May his spirit rest in heaven"

Why? Feliciano slid his body all the way out of the hole and began to cry. Had he really been dead? Did his family and friends really hold a funeral for him? His body shook as he sobbed loudly. He was alive! He looked over his torso, his wound had completely vanished without a trace. It was almost as if his death had been a bad dream. But how was this possible?

"I see you got out safely"

Feliciano whipped his head around to the calm voice behind him. "Matthew? Matthew Williams?" Feliciano spluttered out in disbelief. "Yes. I'm sure you're very confused. Allow me to explain" he spoke softly, "We are dead. Well, I'm only half dead as a matter of fact! Technically I'm part ghost! I died ages ago". Matthew giggled at Feliciano's shocked expression. "Listen, you are very fortunate to have this opportunity! When I first took it I didn't know what to expect" Matthew smiled. "W-w-w-w-w-what OPPORTUNITY?! WHAT IS HAPPENING?!" Feliciano screamed. None of this was making any sense. "You see, when a person dies, they are either sent to heaven or hell, yes? That's how it's supposed to go anyway. But! If you were murdered, your soul gets put in a lottery to try and reclaim the life you lost, on the exception you have to expose the person who killed you within two weeks. If you do that, you are brought back to life" Matthew explained, "in my case, I was murdered on a hiking trail. Nobody found me for days so everyone just assumed I was a missing person. But before I could expose the person who killed me, the police had already found him for another case. So while I didn't do my job right, I didn't exactly fail either. So now I'm here". Feliciano clenched his hands into fists so hard that his nails began to dig into his skin. So he really was alive after all. How was he going to expose his killer? He didn't even get to see their face!

"I've got to go...I...I need to see Ludwig..." Feliciano mumbled. This was a lot to take in. Maybe if he saw Ludwig again and explained everything, maybe he would help. "If you insist. I'd be very careful on your way back...you were in the newspapers after all..." Matthew spoke cautiously. "Si! I will! Thank you, Matthew! Ciao!" He said, as he dusted off his head from dirt and began to walk out of the graveyard. /p


	2. Chapter 2

Ludwig groaned as he pulled himself out of the bath and drained the water. If only he had been there. Drying himself off, he numbly made his way to the kitchen in his dressing gown. The house was exactly the same as it was all those weeks ago. But Feliciano's presence being missing made it feel like an unfamiliar place to Ludwig. The rooms were a lot darker, the floorboards seemed to creak more and the air felt much colder. Nothing at all like when his lover was here. Everything seemed to be brighter to him when he was there. He could feel his chest ache again and his throat become sore. He was so tired. It was the loneliness that killed him most of all. Ludwig took everyday with a struggle. While his boss advised him to take some weeks off to grieve in peace, sadness wasn't going to pay the bills. Ludwig began to boil the kettle with a sigh and slumped onto the living room couch with a sigh, his phone dropping out of his gown pocket. Oh? A painful reminder has come to him again.

He picked up the phone, scrolling through his contacts until his finger stopped on Feliciano's name. Choking back the tears, Ludwig read the last texts he and his lover exchanged to each other.

 _"Luddy! Ti amo! I'm going to make the best pasta tomorrow. With sauce so good I'll marinate it all night!"_  
 _"I look forward to it. Ich Leibe Dich"_

Ludwig couldn't control himself, with a strangled cry he dropped the phone and let the tears stream down his face. "Damn it Feli...We were going to eat that pasta together...I was finally going to confess to you...damn it!" Ludwig choked out. The sadness was so crushing he fell to the floor, his phone a few inches from his face as he curled up and sobbed. And then there was a knock at his door. Ludwig slowly pulled himself together, wiping his eyes frantically and sniffing up the mucus that threatened to run. "Uh..j-just a second!" He called out.

Stumbling towards the door, he opened it, expecting another detective to ask for evidence on the murder of his lover. What he did not expect was the victim in question, picking dirt out his hair. "Hey Luddy!" Feliciano laughed as he tightly hugged his boyfriend again. Feliciano buried his face in Ludwig's chest. God how he had missed this. Ludwig stood in the doorway, not knowing what to do, what to say. Was this a dream? Ludwig's chest began to expand and collapse rapidly, which made Feliciano jump and look up at his boyfriend's face. He was paler than milk, his eyes reddened and inflamed with tears spilling down his cheeks once again. Feliciano could only describe Ludwig's face as the one of a constipated man who had just ripped his asshole. "Ludwig...it's me~ I'm alive~" Feliciano cooed, holding Ludwig tighter. Ludwig fell to Feliciano's knees and let out a strangled scream, the tears flowing like a river as he tightly gripped Feliciano's pant legs. "FELI! Oh my god, Feli...I thought you had died! Where the fuck were you?! How?! Why?!" He spluttered, holding onto Feliciano tightly for dear life. Feliciano knelt down in front of Ludwig, cupping his face with his warm hands. "I'm here. Everything is going to be okay, Ludwig"he cooed, as he felt tears of his own spilling down his cheeks with a smile. Feliciano and Ludwig sat in the doorframe together for what could have been hours, a blubbering mess of tears and words.

"Kaffe?"  
"Si, Grazie"

"Explain everything. How are you here?" Ludwig spoke, his throat sore and weak from the crying and screaming. "Well...it's kind of hard to explain...but from what I was told, I was sent back here to expose who killed me. If I do that before two weeks, I get to stay here just like I was. And if I don't...I don't actually know, they never taught me that part..." Feliciano explained, taking small sips from his coffee. Ludwig let out a long sigh and looked deep into the swirling cream in his mug of coffee. "I'm just...so...happy...but so confused...I know you explained it to me...but...I'm unsure" Ludwig confessed weakly, "Feli...do you at least have any idea on who could have killed you?". Feliciano leaned back in his chair, taking another sip of his coffee while he thought to himself.

"Well, he used a knife...there's that. I'm definitely certain it was a he. Nobody else could have shoved a knife in me that strongly"

"Feli...I know I've said this so many times already...but I'm so happy to have you back again. I missed you so much" Ludwig breathed out, holding Feliciano tightly against his chest. He thought he would never be able to feel his body embraced against his ever again. Ludwig kissed Feliciano passionately, running his fingers through his warm hair, his hands trailing down his neck and to his hips. "Ha...Luddy~ You've missed me quite a lot haven't you?" Feliciano chuckled out of breath. Ludwig laughed and squeezed Feliciano's hips eagerly, "More than anything, Leibe". Ludwig and Feliciano laughed as Ludwig carried Feliciano like a groom would with a bride, walking towards the bedroom. With a smirk and a kiss, Ludwig shut the door behind them.

"So...you didn't leave your house at all that night?"  
"Si, I was asleep. Hard day at work"  
Detective Arthur Kirkland gave a little nod at Francis and he stopped the tape recording. "Very Good, Vargas. At this point in time we will give this to our Evidence sorting team. From this you've given us, this will help find out who was the one who killed Feliciano. We thank you for your cooperation and give our deepest sympathies" Arthur sighed, signing off the papers on his clipboard and standing up from the desk. "If Yao tells us this information is drawing up blanks again I swear to god..." Francis muttered under his breath down the hallway. "It isn't like Yao to give us lies. He has helped us with the evidence for so many other cases. This one's just difficult because of the lack of witnesses on this one" Arthur mumbled. It has to have been his third cup of coffee this morning and the caffeine in his system didn't make him any less tired of this case. "You look tired there, mon amour" Francis sighed, "Perhaps it would be wise to take a break, non?". Arthur gave a small smile and stared deep into his mug of coffee. "All of this doesn't make any sense. There was a knife but none of the finger prints in town matched. There weren't even footprints to trace the killer by...if we don't catch them soon, who knows who will be next?" Arthur mumbled, downing his last gulp of coffee before discarding the paper cup into the bin.  
"When will we be interrogating Ludwig Beilschmidt?"  
"Three days time. The man needs to grieve for a bit first. We can't just jab him with too many questions after this situation. His lover did just die after all" Arthur spoke bitterly. He was tired of his name already. Ludwig's name had continuously been thrown around the room, filled with If's What's When's and Where's all attached to the sentences. If only there were more signs!

"Kirkland! Sir! I think you need to come see this!" Yao called from his office. Arthur and Francis looked at each other and ran into the room, their expressions full of concern. "You see, this footage was taken from last night..." Yao explained. Arthur and Francis stared disbelievingly at the screen. There was Feliciano, alive and walking across the same street he had been killed on. The chalk line, faded but still there. The video on the screen continuously repeated, but still had the same abnormal footage. "Are you certain that isn't Lovino? He and his brother do look very similar" Arthur asked quickly, repeating the footage again.

"No sir, I know what I saw. That's Feliciano" "But that isn't possible! Feliciano is dead. We saw the blood. We saw his dead body in the morgue with his innards on display. WE SAW HIM BEING LOWERED INTO THE GROUND. HOW DOES THAT WORK?!" Arthur snapped. "Let's not get mad at our evidence gatherer, mon petit ami. Let's instead get mad at Ivan for faking an autopsy report on our dear, late, Feliciano" Francis suggested. "Good idea, love. Ivan will have hell to pay for this" Arthur growled. With that, he pair stormed out of a concerned Yao's office.

"Ivan Braginski! You have some serious explaining to do!"  
"Come out here right now! What is the meaning of this?!"  
"Oh, privet Arthur! What is the problem?"  
"Don't play dumb with me! Why did you fake those autopsy reports?!" Arthur roared. "I wouldn't be speaking to me that way, da? How about we start over a little more civilly? Okay. I have no idea what you are talking about" Ivan murmured, his eyes glinting sharply, "The man was dead. No alcohol or drugs in his system. Completely clean. He was dead. End of story". "Then explain what that footage was in Yao's office!" Francis snapped, thrusting a frame-by-frame paper copy of the Italian walking down the street. Ivan looked flabbergasted. His expression alone made Arthur loosen his shoulders a little. Maybe he wasn't to blame after all. "You really told the truth? You are certain Feliciano was dead when you worked on him?" "Da...I don't know how..." "Then...I'm sorry for yelling at you...for now let's just...calm down"


	3. Chapter 3

Thump Thump Thump

The pounding of the door echoed through the house. Lovino grumpily put his slippers and dressing gown on. He had a killer hangover from washing away the pain with alcohol these past few nights. Last night was no different. "mio dio...WHOEVER IS POUNDING THE DOOR RIGHT NOW BETTER SHUT THE FUCK UP BEFORE I KICK YOUR ASS PERSONALLY" Lovino screamed down the staircase. The door hesitated for a moment, then started to pound louder.

 **THUMP! THUMP! THUMP!**  
"Lovino! This is the Hetalian Detective Agency, if you don't open up this instant, we will break the door down!" Alfred yelled, muffled from behind the wood of the door. "Don't you think that's a little extreme? This man's obviously high right now" "Yao, it's my job to snoop out the drug users. I can tell you now, if anything, he's just been wanking. No man takes this long to answer to the police". Lovino rolled his eyes and swung open the door. "Oh it's you asshats. You better have a good reason for being here, my next appointment with you guys is next Thursday" Lovino groaned, rubbing his temples to soothe his pounding headache. "Lovino! First, we are not asshats, we're detectives. Second, Where were you last night?" Alfred asked quickly, pulling a clipboard and a pen from his side. "I uh...I was at home drinking...why?" Lovino spoke, maybe a tad too calmly. Alfred turned to Yao and nodded. "Mr. Vargas, what we have here is a frame by frame of what appears to be your brother walking down the street he was murdered on. This footage was taken just last night as a matter of fact. We came here to check if this was you" Yao explained, handing over the photographs of each frame from the footage. "...that's impossible. Fratello has been dead for 3 weeks now. There's obviously an imposer around here. If you want extra proof, go ask my boyfriend" Lovino spoke coldly, his normally enraged tone becoming as cold as ice.

"Who might be the name of your boyfriend? At this rate we need as much contacts as possible to catch the murderer"/p  
"Antonio Hernández Carriedo"  
"Good, good. Thanks for your input. We'll do our best to solve this case" Alfred breathed out impatiently. He always hated having to chase up people to solve murders. It just added so much extra work for him. "Sorry for waking you up so early" Yao added quickly as the two turned away from the door. Lovino lowered his shoulders, sighed and shut the door.

"God those annoying officers, poking their noses into everything. Lovino pulled a flask from his dressing gown pocket and took a large swig. "So fratello insists on annoying me even after death? He hasn't changed a bit, dead or alive" he slurred through his drink with a smirk.

"Natalya! What did you do to the body?" "Simple brother, I sliced him up like you said, gave you his blood, you analysed it with me. We got results. We let big sister stitch him up and make him look good again. We sent him to the funeral services. Simply done" Natalya muttered. Ivan frantically searched his office drawers, taking out mounds and mounds of paperwork copies from all the patients he had attended to in his time. "Where is Feliciano Vargas's files?"

"The patient archive remember? старший брат you're getting so worked up over nothing. He's just another patient like the ones we've done before" Natalya sighed with a flick of her long hair. "Nyet, he is alive, Arthur told me if I don't provide evidence that we have treated him and he is defiantly dead, both of us will be put into custody for false information" Ivan confessed, running finger through his hair as he went into a small panic. Ivan's worried face alone made this new discovery all the more overwhelming to Natalya. "старший брат! Why didn't you tell me this earlier! We're going to lose our jobs because of this man!" Natalya snapped, pounding her fist on the desk in a spurt of rage. "младшая сестра! Please calm down! Our priority isn't to get mad but to search for his files!" Ivan quickly spoke, grabbing his sister's shoulder to try and stop her from seeing red.

"….No. If we give them the files, they'll think we faked them to try and clear our names. What we need, is Vargas. Dead. They'll need to open the casket of his grave and see his body, as it was when they saw it lowered into the ground 3 weeks ago" Natalya spoke coldly, her eyes glinting at her brother with a sense of determination. "What are you suggesting Natalya…." "Don't play dumb with me, Ivan! Dead man tells no tales. We have to track him and kill him again to save our jobs" She spoke coldly. Ivan's face grew pale, his stomach tightening. He felt like he was going to be sick. "Natalya….I can't….we can't do that…." He whispered. "What's got your knickers in a twist? It will be easy. I've handled many bodies in my time. I know where to insert the knife. It's a dangerous game. But the risk of losing our jobs is even greater. If you won't, I will. For both our sakes. All I need you to do is sit tight and smile for the policeman"

And without another word, Natalya turned and left the office. Leaving her brother in a state of overwhelming fear, panic and worry. What would become of his sister? Was Feliciano Vargas dead or alive? Ivan slumped into his chair, taking a few long deep breaths before slowly calming his nerves. Maybe his sister was right. If the files couldn't be found, then he and his sister were prime suspects for possible secrecy in the detective agency.

The Braginski family were known throughout the small town of Hetalia for being an intimidating, shut in family. Never going out to play with the other children, but always being outside in the strongest of snowstorms. The family was known for their...interesting trades. Which is what got the detectives so interested. Their family business was never advertised, yet it always had customers. Particularly during epidemics. They handled the dead. Ivan and his siblings, that is. Prodding the wounds, testing the blood, extracting the bone marrow, stitching them up. It was all a process which allowed them to record exactly what type of poison was used, what type of blade was stabbed through the victims. While Ivan was the blood tester and patient documentation keeper, it was his little sister Natalya who did all the examinations. The very thought of what Natalya would do to the patients she treated which made him shiver. His big sister Yekaterina would take the body after Natalya had stitched them up and Ivan had finished documenting everything. Her job was to make them look nice for the funeral service. All three of them frightened the Hetalian Detective agency, but at the same time, all three of them had served for them for many years, were paid well and have solved so many mysteries. Losing their jobs would send their family into a crisis. Ivan could only wish their was another way for their economy to be run where everyone had equal pay. Yekaterina would not be able to support their family just on her own. So many cures for diseases have been invented, so little people have been dying. The Hetalian Detective agency was the only thing keeping their lives afloat.

But was the risk of losing their jobs so great that they had to kill a live human? Live? Ivan blinked and shook his head in his thoughts. No, he was dead. He had to be. There was no possible way he could still have been alive. With a long sigh, Ivan ran his fingers through his hair and looked up at the clock. He hoped his sister will do well in her endeavors. 


	4. Chapter 4

Moonlight peered from behind the clouds, the streets were blackened with an eerie atmosphere. Nobody left their homes at night ever since Feliciano's death. There was a killer on the loose and nobody wanted to fall victim. Natalya clutched her knife strapped to her upper thigh, waiting in the bushes across Feliciano's house, like a cat stalking a mouse. Her eyes glinting, she watched intently. She had to strike tonight, it was the only way. She skillfully hid the knife under her long dress and walked onto the street. It was now or never. She walked up the stairs of Feliciano's house, his mailbox filled with old soggy letters that have been left in the rain, jammed into his mailbox. His garden was starting to develop weeds, despite being so well looked after. She peered into the window of Feliciano's house, his furniture left untouched as they were from that time ago, dust slowly falling to the ground, shimmering through the moonlight. Natalya could still remember borrowing sugar from this man just a few weeks ago; the memory made these dangerous moments bittersweet. With a swift movement, Natalya took out her knife and jammed it between the gap of the doorknob and the door, then jerked it, making the doorknob fall to the ground and the front door swing open. Sorry Feliciano.

She never knew Feliciano well enough. Always glaring behind her brother's shoulder but never actually communicating with him. She didn't have time for cowards. I suppose the disassociation would make her job much easier done than if it were someone she had known. Her hollow footsteps echoed through the empty halls, her shadow passing the photographs that hung from the walls. It would appear his family hasn't bothered to get rid of his possessions yet. As long as he will die. She hastily hurried upstairs, her knife quivering in her hand. Was it quivering from fear? or excitement? After all those years dissecting the dead, she would've thought all those feelings of fear would have left by now. No, Natalya thought again, this man is alive. Maybe that added the extra thrill to the night. She scoured the empty rooms in the dark; to no avail, he was nowhere in sight. Then it hit her. Of course he wouldn't be present here, someone was bound to invade his home once he was dead, if he were caught he would have to awkwardly explain to the robbers why he was alive. Natalya groaned at her stupidity and left the house, grumpily walking down the street. Feliciano has to be dead tonight! Where the hell would he be at this time! She hid the knife under skirt again and leaned against the wall. Unaware of a presence around the corner. A man passed her and walked a few feet ahead. Natalya blinked and gasped.

That curl! There was no mistaking it! She whipped her head around to the man ahead of her. It was Feliciano! "Excuse me sir! Can you please help me!" Natalya called out. She wasn't the best actor, but it was enough to get him to turn around at least. "Si? What can I do for you dolce cuore?" Feliciano asked, quickly dashing towards Natalya until he was in front of her. "I...I am just so lost...I need someone to tell me where to go...someone to tell me what to do..." she breathed, slowly placing her hands on Feliciano's shoulders, walking him around until his back was facing the wall. "I...uh...I-I have a boyfriend..." Feliciano breathed out. Natalya began to unbutton his shirt, teasingly running her hands down his chest, earning a sharp inhale. Natalya was still a virgin. All those years of being too scary to be approached by men. Maybe it was her line of work that scared them off. She was still learning at this. Natalya began to grind against Feliciano's clothed crotch, earning a grunt from him. "Oh mia ragazza...you are good at what you do. So, if you want to dance, let's dance" he spoke in a low growl, running his hands through her hair and pulling in for a kiss. Natalya didn't care. She would have to cut the fun short soon enough. He began to roughly kiss her, impatiently running his hands to her hips, then to her upper thighs, earning a small mewl from Natalya. This man sure was a greedy one. Then his hands touched the strap that held her knife, abruptly stopping. "What is that?" he panted, pulling away from the kisses. "A garterbelt. You have to pull it off with your teeth" Natalya panted, heavily grinding against Feliciano's crouch, earning a loud grunt. "oh mio dio...if you insist" he groaned with a smirk. He knelt down in front of her.

Now. She swiftly removed the knife and sent it into his hip. Shit, she thought to herself, she missed. Feliciano made a loud scream, then grabbed her shoulders, spun her around and sent her head crashing against the wall behind him. "WHAT DO YOU WANT WITH OUR FAMILY?! FIRST MY BROTHER NOW ME, WHO HIRED YOU?!" he screamed as he continuously sent her head against the wall. First my brother, now me...the phrase repeated over and over in Natalya's head. This man...wasn't Feliciano? Her vision was blurring with each smack of her head against the wall. She could feel blood rolling down her neck. Then she remembered. Feliciano Vargas had an older brother named Lovino Vargas. It was no wonder he was so bold to her seduction. Feliciano was terrified of her because of her intimidating attitude. Of course he wouldn't be seduced. Lovino pulled the knife from his hip and held it to her neck as she slid down, on the verge of losing consciousness. "You chose the wrong man to murder" Lovino whispered in her ear, before standing up and dialing his phone. Who was he calling? An ambulance? The police? or both. With a regretful smile on her face, Natalya looked up at the moon. She had failed. The last thing she saw that night, was the red and blue lights flashing in the distance.

"hmmmm~ Luddy?" Feliciano cooed sweetly through his half-consciousness. Ludwig pulled him closer to his chest, a cautious look in his eyes. "Luddy you're kind of hurting me right now" Feliciano mewled. Ludwig loosened his grip a little. "Sorry. I thought I heard a scream outside" "A scream? We should probably check it out!" Feliciano's suggestion was met with a cold gaze. "There's people out there already. While you were asleep I went to see for myself. I don't want to lose you again" Ludwig murmured, his gaze fixed on the bedroom window, "Feli...I think it would be best for you to live with me for now. It's too dangerous for you to be out and about despite everything that has happened. Everyone thinks your dead. If you were to suddenly walk outside...I don't know what will happen to us". Feliciano could feel his heart break a little at his words. Not go out ever? To be trapped here, but safe? What sort of life would that be? "But...what about my company? Or my loved ones? I can't just cut them out of my life Ludwig!" Feliciano snapped in frustration, making Ludwig's eyes widen in shock. Ludwig paused a moment and intertwined his fingers with Feliciano's. "I know Leibe...I know it's hard. But if we don't, we will find ourselves in horrible situations. Who knows what will happen to you and I if you were caught. I'm sorry" Ludwig spoke though kisses on Feliciano's forehead. It really was killing him to see his boyfriend this way. He couldn't comprehend how he might've been feeling after all of this. "Feli…I'm getting concerned. I'm going to take a look at what all the commotion is out there. Wait here" Ludwig rumbled grimly, releasing Feliciano from his grip and putting some clothes on.

"What's happening here?"  
Alfred looked over to Ludwig grimly, gripping onto a clipboard as he jotted down notes. "You just missed it. Natalya of our own detective force attempted to kill Lovino Vargas"  
The fear in Ludwig' heart twinged deeper into his soul. So Feliciano wasn't enough for this murderer. How many more people would it take to sacrifice to find the one who had done it?! "Well? Did you catch him?" Ludwig asked anxiously, a cold shiver rushing down his spine. "Yeah dude of course we did! She was overpowered by Lovino and almost lost her own life! Pretty stupid way to get caught if you ask me!" Alfred laughed. Ludwig looked over to 'her', her beautiful navy dress, tainted with blood. Did that blood belong to Lovino? "What about Lovino then? Is he alright?" Ludwig asked cautiously. "Yeah, the knife only managed to stab the edge of his hip. Nothing too serious, thankfully. Now it'll only be a synch to get her alibi for the murder of his brother!" Alfred declared, only to be interrupted by Francis, clearing his throat. "Ah, but you forget. How can we assume it was only Natalya and not a network of people?" Francis said almost too calmly, looking towards Natalya as she was handcuffed and shoved into the door of the police car, "After all it seems a tad too strange to target just one family in particular. Feliciano may have been the owner of heaps of wealthy food businesses, but his brother was a middle-class man. If the first man was dead, why go after the sibling?". "Duh, isn't it obvious? The money was inherited to Lovino. Money appears to be a reoccurring clue to all these events" Arthur spoke up, shutting the car door with Natalya inside.

"We need to interrogate Ivan now. He's a new suspect to this chain of events. Somebody who can't provide evidence to working with his clients and new discoveries of a dead man walking free is far too suspicious" Arthur sighed, he really was getting tired of all these names being thrown about these past few weeks, "And now we find his sister attempting to murder Feliciano's brother. I'd say the entire Braginski family is a sure bet to find some answers from". Ludwig paused, the fear of losing Feliciano swelling in his gut. "Well…I'll be going now officers. Good luck on your search" he spoke fearfully, turning away and walking back towards his house. "Ludwig" Ludwig turned back to Arthur, his sharp eyes piecring through his soul, "We'll be interrogating you on Friday, remember?"  
Ludwig looked to the ground and gave a small smile. "Ja, I'll remember".


	5. Chapter 5

A long, deep exhale left Ludwig's lungs as he shut the door behind him. "Luddy? What's wrong?" Feliciano asked innocently from the top of the staircase, walking down to hold onto Ludwig's large hands. How was he going to say this to Feliciano? His eyes were full of worry and he had been through so much already. Feliciano would be sent into a panic if Ludwig told him. "It's...it was just a cat...""A cat? Then what about the police sirens?" "It got stuck up a tree" " _Ludwig_ "

He really was an awful liar. "Ludwig" Feliciano repeated, squeezing his hands, "I'm not a child! tell me the truth". Ludwig ran fingers through his hair and breathed out again, passing Feliciano and making his way into the kitchen. He watched as Ludwig put the kettle on and pulled out two mugs. This was going to be a long talk. Still remaining silent, Ludwig poured the coffee into the mugs and settled down onto the table.

""Lovino was attacked by Natalya Braginski. He's in hospital right now. Thankfully he wasn't hurt critically" Ludwig confessed, "I wasn't sure how to tell you". Wincing, he looked into Feliciano's eyes, expecting fear and panic, but instead found his features to be calm. "I see..." Feliciano spoke in a barely audible voice. This wasn't like Feliciano at all, the Feliciano Ludwig once knew would be screaming and crying on his knees. Death had changed him. "When I was a young boy, Grandpa asked me and Lovino to inherit his food businesses after he would pass on..." Feliciano began, "Lovino and I were ecstatic, our grandpa was so powerful in the food industry. So powerful...he become too big to manage. And he began to fall. When he passed on, Lovino rejected the inheritance and gave it all to me. He said it was a crumbling enterprise with no hope of salvation...but I made it work...and I became wealthy from it...don't you see Ludwig? Since I've died, Lovino took over from me...so somebody is after our money...Money is the main objective in these murders...Ludwig...do you have a copy of the will Lovino wrote for me?" Ludwig blinked back at Feliciano, his brown eyes were as expressionless and cold as coffee stains with an equally as cold voice. "Wait here..." Ludwig sighed, making his way to the study. Papers and books all laid strewn across the shelves and floor. Ludwig hadn't of entered the study since the day Feliciano died. It sparked too many painful memories.

 _KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK_  
 _"Coming!"_  
 _Ludwig raced to the door, opening it up to find the whole Hetalian detective group standing on his doormat, their hats down and their faces grimly staring back at him. "Ludwig...you rang us last night on the search for Feliciano Vargas?" Francis asked quietly, his voice sounded like it was buried 3 feet underground. "yes...I did...Did you find him? Is he okay?" Ludwig asked quickly. Each one of his questions sounded like the hope was being sucked out of his body. The group looked at each other and nodded slowly. "Ludwig...Feliciano Vargas was found dead on the side of the road a few meters from his house...we're so sorry..." Arthur whispered, just looking at Ludwig in the eyes made his heart shatter and the tears spill down his cheeks. It's not the grief that hits you first, it was the shock. Ludwig gripped onto the door frame, his eyes widened and full of pain, but no tears were spilling. His heart felt like it been taken right from his body; he had forgotten how to breathe. "Thats...I..." Ludwig's scratchy voice managed to come through. Arthur pushed past everyone and walked to the front of Ludwig's yard to release the last few tears from his eyes._  
 _Even though he was the first in command for being an independent leader and having many years of experience, it was always giving the news that someone had died to their loved ones that he could never control himself with._  
 _Yao sharply looked at Ludwig. "We will be interrogating everyone Feliciano was close with. We'll...contact you..." "Once again we offer our condolences.." Alfred butted in. The group stayed at his door for a few more painful moments, their gazes locked onto Ludwig's, before slowly shuffling away._

 _Ludwig shut the door slowly, looking through the crack and watching the group disappear into their tiny car, before shutting it completely. The house felt so much different now and yet he had been in here all morning. The air was heavier; it was colder. Ludwig slowly returned to the study room, sitting down to process everything. Feliciano. His Feliciano, was dead. He isn't coming back. He's dead. He's gone. He's dead. Ludwig increasingly got madder and madder as the phrase 'he's dead' replayed in his head. The phrase grew louder and louder until it was practically screaming. Ludwig began to sob violently; his body shaking with the weight of the tears spilling down his cheeks like a waterfall. "Feli! FELI WHY?!" He screamed in tears. He needed to break something. It was the only way he could seem to calm down. Unfortunately, his neat and tidy study area was the first thing he came in contact with, punching the shelves and throwing books to the ground. Ripping up paper and slamming his fists to the table. God he was hopeless. Ludwig curled into a ball on the paper filled floor, endlessly crying until he fell asleep._

Through the rubble of paper on the ground, Ludwig found the will Lovino had written. On the first week after Feliciano's death, Lovino hurriedly gave it to him. Just looking at it hurt him. So he threw it into the study, never to see it again. The Ludwig from 2 weeks ago wasn't exactly the smartest man. Picking it up, he shut the door behind him and rushed back into the living room, where Feliciano was looking dreamily at the kitchen. "Oh there you are Luddy! You know...I was thinking...I would really love some Apple crumble! Arthur made it for me once...I'd love to recreate it!" Feliciano spoke excitedly. This sudden burst of excitement in Feliciano, made Ludwig's heart a little lighter. "Yes Liebe...we'll make it tomorrow!" Ludwig said with a smile, kissing Feliciano's neck from behind. "Luddy...I've been thinking...when this ordeal is over...can we go travelling?" Feliciano asked innocently, turning to face Ludwig and stroking his chest slowly. "Travelling? Where to, Liebe? If you could go anywhere, where would you ant to go most of all?" Ludwig cooed, kissing Feliciano on the nose. "I would really love to go to Paris! Francis mentioned he had come from there and from what he told me, it sounds really nice!" Feliciano said cheerfully, standing on his tiptoes to kiss Ludwig, "It is the city of love after all. I would love to go there with you." Ludwig cupped Feliciano's face and started to kiss him, almost hungrily and pant.

"Oh Luddy~" Feliciano moaned out, clawing his hands down his back and pushing him to the living room couch. Ludwig smirked a little, a dark blush covering his face as he ground into Feliciano's crotch, adding pressure with each pleasurable mewl that escaped Feliciano's lips. "Hmm..more please~" Feliciano whined impatiently. Ludwig unzipped Feliciano's fly and practically slipped off his boxers within two seconds. Feliciano grinned and roughly pulled down Ludwig's pants and boxers, so the pair of them were naked from the waist down. Feliciano stroked Ludwig's inner thighs, earning a sharp gasp from Ludwig. "F-Feli...haa...Ich Liebe Dich..." Ludwig moaned as Feliciano cupped his balls. "I know Luddy...I know..." Feliciano panted, lowering his head on Ludwig's dick and giving the head a few experimental licks. With each lick of Ludwig's dick, he could see his face flushing darker and darker and his expression become more prominent with pleasure. Feliciano took this as his cue and took it all in, humming to send light vibrations down it's length. "Ahhh...oh mein gott Feli...oh mein gott..." Ludwig moaned loudly. That hot, wet mouth. Those vibrations...oh god. Ludwig couldn't help it. He came into Feliciano's mouth with a strangled cry and pant. Soaking up the post-orgasm ecstasy, Ludwig came over to Feliciano and gave his ignored length some much deserved attention. "Luddy! haa...don't stop..." Feliciano moaned with each hard stroke of his length against Ludwig's touch. Ludwig's hands were rough and large, all those times they had done it before...somehow none of them could compare to the pleasure they were feeling now. Maybe it was the time they had spent apart that made this time all the more special to them. While Ludwig pumped Feliciano, Feliciano brought his fingers to his mouth and then to Ludwig's tight hole, sticking in two fingers to start with, then added another to stretch him out. Ludwig stopped pumping and spread his legs, aligning himself with Feliciano's member. "Okay, I'm ready!" Ludwig moaned through clenched teeth. Feliciano smiled down at Ludwig, the taste of his salt still lingering on his tongue. Slowly, gently, Feliciano entered Ludwig, sparking a sharp gasp of surprise as he entered his tight hole.

"Are you okay Luddy?~" Feliciano asked out of breath. "yes...yes I'm fine...just...move please" Ludwig replied with a pant. Feliciano smiled and began to slide in and out of him, moaning with each thrust. Three thrusts in and both of them were synchronized with their moans as Ludwig wriggled his hips with each thrust. "Ludwig! You're so tight! Oh god! I'm going to-" Feliciano moaned out with a final thrust before spilling into Ludwig with a cry. Ludwig gave his member a few strokes and came with a shudder. Feliciano pulled out and rolled over next to Ludwig, panting with each jolt of electricity that left their limbs. "Ludwig...you were amazing..." "Nothing compared to you Feli...please...promise me you won't leave me again" Ludwig spoke in a quiet tone. Feliciano blinked and looked away. He couldn't exactly promise Ludwig that. This was his second night alive, he only had 12 days to find who had killed him. He wasn't exactly sure what would happen if he didn't find the murderer. In the time the two have now, how would he go about finding the person who had killed him...without people knowing he was alive trapped in Ludwig's house made it all the more difficult. Although, he didn't want Ludwig to worry as much as he already had. Feliciano looked back at Ludwig, who was tightly hugging his waist on the verge of falling asleep. "I promise. I'll never leave you..." Feliciano cooed, kissing his forehead and falling asleep in his embrace.


	6. Chapter 6

"Turn to the left please, darling!"  
*click!* *click*  
"You're looking fabulous by the way~"  
Arthur groaned and rolled his eyes. His husband was such a player even though they're married. "Francis, please be mature about this! This woman tried to kill someone after all!" Arthur snapped. "Ah, sorry mon petit cheri, it's only because she looks so gorgeous in that prison get-up. I couldn't resist giving her a compliment or two!" Francis said with a smirk, blowing a kiss to his neglected husband. Arthur looked back at Natalya, her face was so pale it could bled in with the sizing chart behind her. Pale with nerves? Or was she just generally as cold and pale as milk?  
"annnnddd...one more from the right, cerie!" Francis cooed sweetly. Natalya turned without even blinking, her eyes were like knives, cutting deep into their souls. *click* *click*

"Right! Follow me, we're taking you into your cell until your court case! Do not resist or we'll have no choice but to use our tasers!" Arthur spoke gruffly, signalling Francis to stand behind her and lead Natalya to the cells at the end of the hall. With each step, Natalya could feel the disappointment pitting in her stomach. After a few minutes of narrow halls and occupied cells, Arthur stopped in front of a random cell, unlocked it and opened the door. "In" Natalya didn't need to be told twice. She was a good girl and did what she was told, jumping a little when the cell door slapped behind her. "Righty, so here's how it's going to work from now on. Your court case is at the end of this month, however we have been given orders to keep you here to reduce the risk of any more murders in our community. Lunch is at 12:00am sharp. If we catch you attempting to escape, you will be moved into the isolated cells. Nobody wants to be there. Trust me" Arthur rambled on. Natalya looked down at her bare toes and gave them a wiggle. She couldn't wait to get her high heels back on. She felt filthy walking bare foot everywhere. Francis gave an odd look at Arthur and sighed. "That is all, mon petit cheri. Play nice with the others, okay?" Francis said with a smirk, pinching Arthur's bottom and practically skipping away teasingly. "Why you little-" Arthur choked out, chasing after him. Natalya rolled her eyes. Damn homosexuals.

Natalya gave a little twirl in her cell. It was always more fun to twirl around in her navy dress, these prison clothes really didn't suit her. She felt like an animal in the zoo; so much so, Natalya expected someone was going to walk past her cell and laugh at her. She was such an idiot. The regret was stabbing her harder than the knife that night. She should have been smarter than that! Lovino Vargas...Feliciano Vargas...they were so different to each other! Natalya grit her teeth and curled into the corner of her cell. She was a songbird in a cage; her feathers tainted with the wrong blood.

"hmmmm? How is mi pequeño tomate doing?"

"Oh shut it you bastard, your breath smells bad from here!"

"Ah, I see you're going fine. I was worried sick, you know?"

"Hmph, that crazy chick didn't stand a chance against me. As soon as I felt the garterbelt on her thigh, I knew she was hiding a knife. That's the oldest trick in the book"

"You were feeling up a girl's thigh?!"  
Lovino looked down at his chest, completely bandaged and ready to go. Antonio grumpily stamped his foot, expecting an answer. "Well...yeah. I had to or else the alternate was her following me. I knew she was suspicious from the get-go. I was hiding in the bushes, waiting for my brother to walk down the street and I saw her break in and snoop around fratello's house. She was going to kill him! Again!" Lovino explained. Antonio sighed and placed a reassuring hand on Lovino's shoulder. "Lovino, I know your upset, but living in denial isn't going to help the grieving process" Antonio said with a saddened smile, "I'm here for you. You don't have to be embarrassed to cry on me"

"What the hell is that about?" Lovino snapped, slapping Antonio's hand off his shoulder, "Fratello is alive. I know it!" The hope in his eyes, the excitement in his voice. It broke Antonio's heart to see him this way. "Lovi...I hate to break it to you, but it's impossible. We were at his open casket funeral, we carried his casket to the graveyard and we watched him be buried. It's impossible for him to come back alive. You know...I once had a dog I loved when I was little, he was a cute fella. Anyway, I saw him get run over and died, so to ease the pain, I too pretended he was alive. I pretended he was on holiday-" "BUT I SWEAR TO FUCK THE POLICE CAME AND TOLD ME THEMSELVES THAT HE'S ALIVE" "Shhh! Calm down Lovi! We're in a hospital!" Antonio hissed, gripping Lovino's shoulder again. Lovino exhaled and slumped back against the pillows. "Maybe I'm just crazy. But I'm certain they came over yesterday morning and gave me evidence. I even gave them your details so they could confirm it wasn't me they saw" Lovino confessed, crossing his arms and pouting, "It just doesn't make sense. Not one bit". Antonio leaned in and kissed Lovino's forehead. "I'm sure it'll work out soon. You'll see"

Pale sunlight kissed Feliciano's skin. He peacefully stirred himself awake and looked to his shoulder. Ludwig was sound asleep. "You're awake" says a quiet voice from the couch opposite, causing Feliciano to jump in fear. "M-Matthew?! How long have you been there?!" Feliciano screeched. Matthew giggled and looked to the ground. "Uh..I was only here for five minutes. I thought I'd aught to come and talk to you. You do only have 11 days left after all. You need to start searching for your killer right away!" Matthew spoke sweetly, his face transparent through the couch, "So...have you grown accustomed to your ghost body yet?". Feliciano had to blink at Matthew a few times in disbelief. Then he remembered, he was a ghost. That's right. "Uh...it's...kinda like being alive isn't it? A piece of cake!" Feliciano chuckled. Matthew lowered his gaze to the floor, his expression turning grim. br /"Except...you have an expiry date..." He mumbled, "I take it you haven't tested out your powers yet?"

Powers?! "Wait...powers?! I have powers?!" Feliciano squeaked eagerly, his excitement made Matthew smile a little. "You see how I'm transparent now? I have the ability to go transparent because I'm half-ghost. But you. You are full ghost. You can turn invisible" He explained, a small grin on his face, "All you have to do to activate it is to imagine yourself being dead. Every time you use it though, the world around you will act the same way as it did when you were considered dead. Your friends and family will be upset exactly as they would have been when you weren't there. But then, as soon as it's lifted, people act as though you were there the whole time. It's cool but very sad at the same time." Feliciano grinned and looked at his hands. He had powers! This was so cool! "You also have the ability to float and walk through walls, just as any ghost would. But I wouldn't recommend using those powers unless you are desperate. You do have to maintain a physical appearance after all"

Feliciano looked down at Ludwig, who was nuzzling against his leg in his sleep. "Say...I never asked you before, but what actually happens...if I don't find my killer?"  
Matthew's smile vanished, his eyes became full of sadness. Just by looking at him it felt as though all the warmth and color in the world had vanished. For once, Feliciano actually felt as cold as a corpse.

"Nobody remembers you. As soon as you disappear, your existence is wiped from everyone's memory. Your loved ones, your friends...they will look at photos of you without a shred of recognition for who you once were" Matthew spoke quietly. The hollowness of his voice brought chills down Feliciano's spine. "Matthew...forgive me for asking...but...all those times everyone forgot you were there..."

"Yes. Because when somebody else recognized my killer for me, it meant only did half the job I was supposed to. Therefore I became half ghost, half human. I can become transparent, but not invisible. People forget I'm here, but then they remember me. I used to be a solid person people remembered all the time. And now, I'm always confused for my brother and I always get shocked looks when I tell them who I am" He said with a sigh, "I wanted to help you...so you didn't become like me. It's horrible when people dismiss you all the time. They love you, they really do. But they just can't remember you for more than a few minutes. It hurts"

"Matthew...that's so sad!"  
"Aww it's alright! I'm used to it. Really"  
"Mmnnn...Feli..."

Feliciano jumped a little as Ludwig stirred and began to blink his eyes, adjusting to the sunlight. "Good morning Luddy~" Feliciano cooed, looking down at his boyfriend, peacefully curled up under his arm. "Who were you talking to?" "I was talking to- huh?" When Feliciano looked up, Matthew was nowhere in sight. How did he get out of the house so fast?!

"Uh...nobody. I wasn't talking to anybody..."


	7. Chapter 7

Ludwig blinked at Feliciano's reply. He could've sworn he had heard someone in here. "Feli…I'm starting to get worried. As to how much time's left. You've been back for two days and two nights…we need to get a move on finding who killed you" Ludwig grumbled, his grip on Feliciano tightening. Feliciano felt that familiar stabbing in his chest, only not by a knife. "Ludwig…I found out what will happen to me…if I don't find who killed me…" he spoke weakly, his tone of voice making Ludwig shift uncomfortably. "Is it bad?" Ludwig's voice wobbled through his broken throat. His throat was so used to screaming lately, he had gotten so used to the pain that was once non-existent. "I-I disappear…forever…from memory and from time…" Feliciano whispered grimly. Ludwig tightened his grip further on Feliciano's arm. He was holding him like a child on their first day of school. The thought of losing him again was strong and fresh in his mind. "Feliciano. I swear it, I'll do whatever it takes to ensure that won't happen. I promise you"

That look his eyes. God it was going to kill him one day. Ludwig's face was pale, with an expression of both hope and worry. Which emotion would stand out the most at the end? Feliciano was frightened of death. He could still remember the warmth that spread through his chest that night. The warmth of his blood splattering on his shoes. The metallic taste in his throat. The pain...it made him wonder what it would feel like if he failed to expose his killer. Would it hurt to disappear forever? Was he even alive right now to begin with?

"Hey...Luddy, can you do me a favor and listen for my heartbeat?" Feliciano asked quietly. Ludwig looked a tad puzzled at first, but complied, leaning his ear onto Feliciano's chest. Still. On that night, Feliciano could remember it all too well, his blood pulsated out of him like a coursing river. Now, it was as still as a frozen lake. Ludwig lifted up Feliciano's top and tried again against his bare chest. Maybe he couldn't hear it right the first time. Still, nothing at all. "...nothing. You really are like a corpse. Only warm and full of life. This isn't scientifically possible. There has to be a manual somewhere about how the human body works. That is certainly impossible" Ludwig whispered in disbelief, "So you're not alive. But you're not dead either...it's almost as if your soul is bound to your body, but your body just doesn't function like it used to when you were in control of it...this is surreal". Feliciano slid his shirt back down and looked worryingly to the side of him. How would he react to his ability to vanish? Now or never, he has to know somehow.

I'm dead. I don't exist here anymore. I died three weeks ago. Feliciano repeated those phrases and anything similar in his head over and over with his eyes tightly shut. When he opened them again, he found Ludwig looking around confusingly, his eyes dull and reddened. "What...was I doing here...?" he murmured to himself. Feliciano's heart shattered a little when he heard his voice. It was far more cracked and weakened from before. It didn't have that eccentric tone he had when he was yelling or when he was proud. Now that he remembered it, Matthew mentioned when he turned invisible, the world around him acted as though he really was dead. Was Ludwig losing sleep? Was Ludwig screaming or crying a lot while he was away? "Feli...what's your will doing here..." he croaked through his strained voice, lifting up the will and flipping it over to see Lovino's signature on the back. Ludwig's eyes started to water. Feliciano couldn't take it anymore. I'm alive! I'm alive! I exist here! Feliciano thought to himself, clenching his hands. Ludwig snapped his gaze to Feliciano suddenly. "Good idea Feli, we should look through your will to find the likely suspects!" He spoke eagerly, a small, hopeful smile on his face "That will surely produce some results". Looking down to his shoes, Feliciano loosened his clenched fists. "You...didn't notice I was gone?" Feliciano asked quietly. "Uh...no...you were here the whole time Feli...unless you count the last few weeks...even then I could never forget you!" Ludwig said, his tone growing serious suddenly. "Ah, yeah, right of course..." he mumbled quietly, "Let's take a look at the will then!"

 _"As the last remaining man of the Vargas residence and enterprises, I give Ludwig Beilschmidt 30% of the money gathered by the late Feliciano Vargas, as he was closer to Feliciano even I was sometimes. Roderich Edelstine and Elizabeta Héderváry will receive 55% of the money, as they raised my brother and I after the passing of our Grandfather. The rest of his money will belong to me, to carry on the family name and take over his businesses to keep the Vargas family going strong- Lovino Vargas"_

Jealousy? Or just plain spitefulness. Feliciano didn't feel comfortable looking at all his hard earned cash being divided so unequally. "So...Roderich and Elizabeth...I've heard of them! They are renowned for that fancy hotel on the edge of town aren't they? Looks like a massive mansion, it's no wonder they get so many tourists" Ludwig mumbled, deep in thought. "They wouldn't kill me! Well, a month before I died...I did hear of that health scandal in the hotel that nearly got them closed down...but...That wouldn't be a satsifactory enough reason to kill me!" Feliciano huffed impatiently. "That health scandal...I don't believe I saw it in the news..." "A dead body was found in the cellar, it had been decaying for a few months...the eyes, tongue and hands were severed off" Feliciano shivered, "nobody knows who did it. There isn't enough evidence to support it was Elizabeta or Roderich so they're guessing it was someone who stayed there". The story made a shiver run down Ludwig's spine. "You don't think...maybe that person was the same person who killed you?" "It's possible. But their killing style makes no sense. Wouldn't they cut out my eyes, tongue and hands if it were them that got me?" "Uh...yeah...about that Feli...I don't think you have any reconciliation as to what happened in the morgue do you?" Ludwig coughed awkwardly. Feliciano blinked in shock. "You don't mean...after I was killed...they did the same thing?!" he quietly spoke with a cold chill down his spine. "Me and Lovino were granted special access to see you before the funeral to give a more personal farewell...your eyes were closed and your wrists had stitches covered with foundation..." Ludwig mumbled under his breath, "I think this killer has a quirk. That gives us a clue at least."

Eyes, tongue and hands...what did all of them have in common? That he realized. If they came back like him, they couldn't tell someone who killed them. If they couldn't see, they couldn't find their loved ones. If they couldn't speak, they couldn't use sign language either. The killer must have known of the dead coming back to life when they were murdered! Feliciano began to hyperventilate. What if they were looking for him?! What if they knew?! "Lu-Ludwig...I think...I think I've worked it out..." he squeaked through his rapid breaths, his face growing paler than milk, "We...we need to see Roderich..."


	8. Chapter 8

"Yo! Mattie, didn't see you there, where were you?" "Uh...oh...I just went shopping..." Matthew spoke quietly. That was obviously not true, he had been lecturing Feliciano on how to be a proper ghost. That boy seriously needed to practice more on his skills. Although, on the way back, he did remember his house was out of eggs. Alfred groaned and looked away from the TV. "Did you get any ice-cream? Today sucked and I need some sugar to keep me alive" He asked bitterly. Matthew looked over to his brother, he was decked in sweatpants and a vest, his outfit for lazy days. "No I didn't because ice-cream is unhealthy and you know it. I'm guessing you're staying home tomorrow? When you wear those sweatpants it normally means you aren't going to change out of them for a while" Matthew sighed, setting aside the shopping onto the counter. Alfred cursed under his breath, pulled himself up and dragged his feet to the door. "Don't tell me you're going out just to get ice-cream?" he quietly asked in disbelief. Alfred clicked his tongue and slammed the door shut without even saying goodbye. Alfred had forgotten him yet again.

"I cannot understand that young man's attitude. He is certainly...problematic at times..." a soothing voice spoke from the kitchen. Matthew spun around to see none other than Kiku Honda, his eyes as cold and expressionless as a cold fish. "Oh wow Kiku, you came here real quick!" Matthew squeaked, "Gee, I didn't even get time to make the pancakes..." "That is quite alright. I do not wish to burden you in anyway" Kiku replied with a small bow, "I'm sure you are aware as to why I'm here". Ah yes, Kiku Honda, he was a special case.

 _It was a few years back when it happened. A school boy was drowned in a river after being kidnapped. They found his body. Alive. The boy washed up in an entirely new town after the stream pulled him down. When the boy was interrogated, he had no reconciliation as what happened to his past, all he had said was: "Im Yong Soo" And it continued for a whole week. The trauma had gripped his heart so bad, to every question the police and therapists asked, his answer still remained "Im Yong Soo". Until they realized what it had meant. When they found Im Yong Soo, he was just as surprised to see the police in the light of day as Kiku was. He was briefly put in jail for attempted murder. Kiku Honda was then taken in by Wang Yao, as Kiku felt the most comfortable with him. Matthew never realized it when it first happened to him, until Kiku came and told him himself. "You...You came back...I thought it was only me..." "Yo, Kiku what're you talking about, bro?" Kiku flinched as Alfred's hand landed hard against his shoulder. He gave a final, sharp look in Matthews eyes. "I will tell you everything you need to know. I will see you another time, Matthew-san" he said calmly. Then he left._

 _Matthew didn't know what to think when Kiku invited him to his house to discuss his predicament. They spent the hour exchanging each others stories over some hot herbal tea. "So I need to get the person who killed me exposed..." "That is correct" "But...I don't know who did it!" "You will soon enough. You must find the said person and make sure he receives the correct punishment for his crime" "But...sorry...but...Kiku how did you know I was a ghost?" "Because your transparent and only I had noticed" Matthew panicked and dashed to the bathroom mirror in Kiku's house. He was right! How did nobody notice him?! "Matthew-san! Come quickly, there's something you should see on the television!" Kiku yelled from the living room. Matthew sprinted and looked at the screen, a man holding part of his flannel shirt he wore on that day, the report rambling on about how effective a dog's nose is...a clip of a man in handcuffs being shoved into a police car...It was Andersen from his high school. "...you did it. He has been exposed" Kiku spoke quietly, his herbal tea swirling in his cup as the TV channel changed to an advert. "But...I didn't do anything..." Matthew spoke weakly, "I should have exposed him myself...it doesn't count..." Kiku smiled from his cup with a glint in his eye. "But you did expose him. While you weren't present for the exposing, you did your job in the unconscious. You purposely left part of your shirt for the police to track who killed you. You are safe now"_

"So...Feliciano Vargas has been chosen to reclaim the life he lost? Does he know what he's doing?" Kiku asked politely, shaking Matthew from his wandering thoughts. "Ah oh, yeah, you knew Feliciano for a while right? Maybe you'll be better at talking to him. He's revealed himself to Ludwig, maybe you should do the same" Matthew spoke, his eyes glinting. Kiku gave a small smile and looked down to floor. "You have a point...perhaps it would be a good idea to approach him on this issue...but how would I do it..." Kiku mumbled, deep in thought, "Maybe I will see him tonight". Matthew smiled a little and looked towards the clock. "It will be a while until Alfred gets back. You should probably leave now while you have the chance. Thankfully he didn't see you walk through the wall. Please, use the door next time" "I will. Sayonara Matthew-san" Kiku said, turning and walking through the door. Quite literally, through the door. Matthew only wished if Feliciano regained his life he wouldn't use his newly gained ghostly powers for stupid jokes like Kiku sometimes did. Other days he wished he had done more in the regaining of his life, so he could be a fully fledged human with the ghost powers he inherited from his time being in death limbo like Kiku.

The path was cold and twisting and yet it was only the evening. Kiku's shoes coldly echoed across the empty street. What could he possibly say to Ludwig? How could he look him in the eyes and freely say he was happy that Feliciano was alive again. Oh...now he remembered, he needed to look surprised that Feliciano was back. He also had to pretend that he had no knowledge on the dead coming back like this. Ludwig...what could he say to him? Ludwig...Kiku stopped and clutching his chest. The feelings were unrequited by far. They all went to high school, became close friends then separated once again. The whole time, he'd always try to get his attention somehow. Maybe it was those muscles, or his strong cheekbones, maybe it was his smile. Kiku always found himself wanting. But Feliciano.

 _Feliciano._ He was always brighter than him. Always better at the arts and being an ace in history class. Feliciano had a smile that could brighten a room and his laugh made everyone feel a little happier just by hearing it. Kiku was quiet, expressionless most the time. How could he compete with that? It was so obvious Ludwig loved him. The day Ludwig confessed he was going to ask Feliciano out in their last year of school, Kiku could remember the pain. It was a different kind of pain from the usual heartbreak. He was happy for them, they were his friends, why wouldn't he be happy for them? If only it wasn't with each other. Kiku really did find it difficult to stand in the same room with both of them. But he couldn't bring himself to hate Feliciano. When Feliciano died, it came to him as a huge shock. How could it be his close friend had died so soon? How did Ludwig feel? Kiku thought it would be wise not to bombard Ludwig with sappy sympathies and love confessions just yet.

Kiku kept walking down the street, pausing in front of Ludwig's house. With a pounding chest, and a shaky exhale, he walked up the steps and knocked on the door.


	9. Chapter 9

It was on this day, Feliciano realized time was a fickle thing. In such a short span of time, he had found more evidence than the detectives themselves. His murderer was shorter than him; the shadow from behind him was bent much further to the left than his own shadow. From all those times a shadow was cast from behind an object, Feliciano always learned it was the smaller objects that projected more of a shadow. The weapon used that day was a large knife, as an ordinary kitchen knife wouldn't have been able to pierce so far through his stomach as the one that did on that night. But the biggest mystery yet was how did the killer know people could come back after being murdered? How?

Feliciano furrowed his eyebrows and hugged his knees to his chest tightly. Nothing made sense and he only had 10 days left to find out who had killed him. There was a quiet knock from behind his door which snapped Feliciano out of his thoughts with a jump. "Feli? Are you awake?"

Oh. It was only Ludwig. Feliciano let out a relieved exhale. "Yeah I'm up" he replied. Ludwig slowly opened the door, a cup of coffee in both his hands. "You sounded distressed so I felt you needed a kaffee to calm down" Ludwig mumbled, "I bought ingredients for the apple crumble…you mentioned you wanted to make some". With a warm smile, Feliciano sat up and accepted the coffee. "Grazie…" he whispered, taking in some of the warm coffee. Feliciano took in a mouthful and paused, his eyes widening. The coffee tasted like metal. He sloshed his tongue around the metallic tasting liquid before making a sprint to the bathroom. "Feli? Feli?! What's wrong?!" Ludwig called after him. The sound of liquid slapping thickly against liquid made him stomach churn uncomfortably. "F…Feli….?" Ludwig peered from around the door to see Feliciano hunched over the toilet bowl, heaving through sobs. "Feli?! What's wrong, liebe?!" He asked in a state of panic, rushing to his boyfriend's side. "d-don't…don't…don't…." Feliciano whispered through dry heaving. Feliciano was drooling a mixture of saliva and coffee; Ludwig had no idea what was wrong, he made his coffee just like he always did! While he didn't understand, he could at least try and support him. Ludwig lowered his hand onto Feliciano's back, but jumped back when Feliciano violently flinched and curled closer to the toilet. "don't..do-DON'T HURT ME!" Feliciano screamed, kicking Ludwig in the leg. Now he understood. Ludwig recoiled and made a small distance between them, sitting towards the door.

"I…it was warm blood…I could taste it…" Feliciano barely managed to whisper through his tears. "It's okay Feli…you're safe now. You're alive, you're okay" Ludwig reassured. What else could he say to his boyfriend? "I'm not. I've only got 10 days left. I'm going to die again! I don't want to die!" Feliciano whined, his voice was full of pain and fear. "FELI! YOU'RE NOT GOING TO DIE AND THAT'S FINAL!" Ludwig yelled, making Feliciano whimper and curl up against the toilet bowl again. He took a few moments to catch his breath and continued. "You are not going to die Feliciano. I can assure you I won't let it happen. I promise. Have faith in me, I know we'll make it through" he soothed, taking this opportunity to come closer to Feliciano and squeezing his hand. It was as cold and pale as Feliciano's face. Feliciano let out a few more shaky sobs before launching himself onto Ludwig, hugging his waist tighter than he had ever hugged it before. "It's okay now. You're safe. I promise.

"Luddy?"  
"Hm?"  
"C…Can you sing me a song?"

Ludwig recoiled a little at the awkward request. His vocal cords were strained enough as it is with the past few weeks being full of tears and late nights. But if it would make Feliciano happy. "um…I'm afraid I'm not the greatest singer…but I'm sure it will suffice"

Feliciano gripped Ludwig's shirt a little tighter as he cleared his throat.

 _"Weißt du, wieviel Sternlein stehenbr, an dem blauen Himmelszelt?_

 _Weißt du, wieviel Wolken ziehenbr weithin über alle Welt?_

 _Gott der Herr hat sie gezählet, daß ihm auch nicht eines fehletbr_

 _an der ganzen großen Zahl, an der ganzen großen Zahl…"_

Feliciano loosened his grip as Ludwig's deep voice rumbled out the song. His voice was amazing! With a warm smile he snuggled closer to Ludwig's chest, enjoying the vibrations from his voice at work.

 _"Weißt du, wieviel Mücklein spielenbr, in der heißen Sonnenglut,_

 _wieviel Fischlein auch sich kühlenbr in der hellen Wasserflut?_

 _Gott der Herr rief sie mit Namen,daß sie all ins Leben kamen,_

 _daß sie nun so fröhlich sind, daß sie nun so fröhlich sind…"_

Ludwig's voice hitched a little as Feliciano kissed his jawline and sat in his lap like a little child. Feliciano seemed a lot calmer now; he was even trying to mouth out the words under his breath even though he didn't know how to speak German.

 _"Weißt du, wieviel Kinder frühebr_

 _stehn aus ihrem Bettlein auf,_

 _daß sie ohne Sorg und Mühebr_

 _fröhlich sind im Tageslauf?_

 _Gott im Himmel hat an allenbr seine Lust, sein Wohlgefallen;_

 _kennt auch dich und hat dich lieb, kennt auch dich und hat dich lieb."_

"That was beautiful Luddy! Was that a lullaby?" Feliciano asked childishly, interlocking his fingers into the gaps of Ludwig's palms. "Ja…my mutti used to sing it to me whenever I was sick. I used to be really restless so she would sing it to me so I could go to sleep. She said it would help with the healing process. Although singing can't fix a person" Ludwig confessed sheepishly. "It fixed me!" Feliciano chimed up with his usual perky attitude. Ludwig smiled and kissed his cheek. "It certainly did, liebe"

Ludwig twitched a little as he heard a knocking from the bottom of the staircase. "hm? Someone is here….who would be visiting at this time?" he mumbled, "You should hide. Who knows who it will be at the door." Feliciano took his cue and searched around the room as Ludwig got up and made his way to the front door. Where could he hide? Feliciano looked towards the closest. Perfect.

"I'm coming! Be patient!"  
Ludwig opened the door to see Kiku staring back at him, his face hardened into a grim expression. "Kiku…" "Ludwig, I'm here to see Feliciano."


End file.
